We live in a society of high expectations. Every day there are pressures being thrown at you from left and right from all different angles:
Make good grades or you're not intelligent.
Have a great social life and tons of friends or you're not fun.
Have a perfect body, great hair, and impeccable skin or you're not beautiful.
Find someone to date or you're going to be alone forever.
Have a million followers on social media or no one likes you.
I'm here to tell you that despite what society has told you all your life, none of this is true. As an extremely Type A person myself, I am a perfectionist and have felt all of these pressures magnified. I know how easy it is to get caught up and let yourself think that you're not good enough. But that's not true.
Try as we might, no one can be good at everything. But one of the most common misconceptions, and something I've struggled with a lot myself, is understanding that it does not mean you are mediocre. You are an individual, you are unique, and you are special.
Your GPA does not define you intellectually.
A grade point average does not directly measure intelligence. Having a perfect GPA is an amazing accomplishment, but it's perfectly OK if that's not the case. We all have things going on outside of school and a number of things could affect your grades. If you're doing your best, be happy with what you've achieved!
Friends are not meant to be collected.
Why waste time trying to make friends with people you don't really like? It's OK to only have a small circle of close friends. Remember that the love and support of a few real friends is worth far more than a network of random people who don't really know you.
Real beauty is not just skin deep.
You are more than your appearance. So what if your body isn't perfectly toned, or your hair gets a little frizzy, or you have a breakout every now and then. A beautiful mind, personality, and attitude speaks volumes louder than a face ever could.
Your love life is your business.
It has never made sense to me how much a person's relationship status is criticized. It's looked down upon to be single for too long, but it's also looked down upon to have been in several relationships. It's pretty much a lose/lose situation, so you might as well forget what people say and do what makes you happy.
Social media is irrelevant.
YOUR NUMBER OF FOLLOWERS SHOULD NOT BE A MEASURE YOUR SELF --WORTH. I can't say this enough. It baffles me how much importance we place on social media. Something so trivial does not affect your value as a person.
Striving to be perfect is an endless battle. At the end of the day we all have our imperfections, and that's okay. Our flaws are what make us unique; they're what make us human. When the pressure becomes overwhelming and you're calling your self-worth into question, please remember: you are you, and that in itself is enough.
